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Yummly_Glazed ham: A salty-sweet treat_ This glazed ham recipe calls for a one-two sweet-and-sour punch, with a ham glaze made from sweet pineapple and tangy balsamic vinegar. This baked ham is a little different, in that it doesn't require scoring a diamond pattern on the meat - this reduces prep time and you still get a delicious ham. _How did ham become an Easter tradition?_ Along with deviled eggs and hot cross buns, glazed ham is a common sight on Easter dinner tables. Legends and lore abound about why we eat ham this time of year. Ham has traditionally been served in Germany for centuries to celebrate springtime. From a practical standpoint, hams were often cured and preserved through the harsh, cold winter months, making them ready to eat when Easter rolled around, long before butchering time arrived for other animals. This may also explain why ham sometimes graces the Christmas table. _Notable ham-producing regions_ You’ll find ham throughout the world, with flavor and texture differences that vary depending on preservation method and the characteristics of the region’s meat itself. Some recognizable hams include Proscuitto di Parma from Italy, Westphalian and Black Forest ham from Germany, and Jamon Serrano and Iberico from Spain. America is also making a name for itself in ham circles with some of the best ham coming out of Southern states like Virginia and Kentucky. _How is ham made?_ Using a cut of pork from the pig’s upper leg, classic ham preparations involve preserving the meat through dry salt curing, wet brining and sometimes smoking. Dry curing entails covering the meat with salt, herbs and spices, then washing it and hanging it to dry for anywhere from several months to several years. A quicker method, wet curing immerses the ham in a salt/sugar brine or pumps the brine solution directly into the meat and lets it sit for several days up to several weeks. The meat may also be placed in a smokehouse or smoker for an extra flavor boost. _What to look for when buying a ham_ When shopping for ham, be aware that products with water or brine added are often less expensive because they have a higher water content than their meatier counterparts. Look for good coloring, a plump appearance and fresh smell. And don’t be intimidated by bone-in ham — it lends more flavor to the meat. Just like with your Thanksgiving turkey, go big to guarantee leftovers for sandwiches and snacking. If carving it intimidates you, get a spiral-cut ham and save yourself the trouble: A spiral ham comes pre-cut. If you're serving a smaller group, many stores will sell you a half ham. _A great beginner's dish_ Because ham is sold precooked, it's the perfect choice if you're cooking your first big Easter dinner, or if you're looking to reduce your holiday stress. Ham can technically be served at room temperature straight from the store: You are basically reheating it for this baked ham recipe. Remember to be sure that your roasting pan will fit the ham you buy - or buy a disposable one that fits. _Glazed over_ This pineapple-raisin glaze is wonderful, but know that ham plays nicely with a wide range of glazes and sauces. Because hams are inherently salty, sweet glaze recipes and barbecue sauces made with honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, root beer, honey mustard, ground cloves, ground cinnamon — even peanut butter! — can provide a nice flavor contrast that can really take your ham to the next level. Glazes are high in sugar and can easily burn, so you’ll want to wait until the last 15 or 20 minutes of cooking to brush them on. (For a sweet crunchy crust, crank the broiler up to high for a minute or two at the very end.) _Side dishes_ Ham pairs beautifully with simply prepared fresh seasonal vegetables like snap peas, asparagus, fava beans and spring lettuce salads, as well as new potatoes with fresh herbs. For a holiday meals, dinner rolls make a great addition (and great ham sandwiches the next day with dijon mustard and a swipe of mayo).Food.comOne of the nice things about having been on this earth for a extended period of time is that you get to experience many things. Some good, some bad. Some things that you remember and many things that you forget. Once in a while some thing, experience or event comes along that stays with you and provides many nice memories. One such thing for me was a coney dog. Not just any coney dog, mind you. But one that stands out — nonpareil. The ultimate coney dog. A poor man’s gastronomical delight. One that shall never come this way again. For it just wasn’t the taste of that coney dog among coney dogs: it was the aura of a bygone era. Not only did the sauce-covered wiener satisfy your appetite, but the smells, sounds and sights of the surroundings made the consumption of this king of coney dogs an event to the looked forward to, cherished and remembered for years to come. In the old days in Canton, Ohio, there was an indoor version of a farmer’s market called the Arcade Market in downtown Canton where one could get the freshest produce, meat cut to order on the spot, actually homemade items for your home and, of course, breakfast and lunch. Homer E. Dickes (Dick), a spry wisp of a man who seemed old even when I first met him as a 5-year-old kid, owned two eating venues within the old arcade. One was a sit-down counter that served lunch and breakfast. You could get that day’s version of fast food there, eggs made to order, various sandwiches, sodas and shakes, but there was one thing you couldn’t get there: that was a coney dog. For that you had to amble over toward the other side of the market, elbow your way up to a counter where Mr. Dickes himself served up coney dogs par excellence at Dick’s Coney Stand. During the rush at lunchtime you sometimes had to stand five deep and hope you got served in time to get back to work. Lunch, at least in my working years, consisted of two coney dogs washed down by an ice cold root beer. Mr. Dickes would take your order, grab his tongs and deftly fish the required number of wieners from a pot where they had been simmering since early morning. He would then take a bun or buns from a steam warmer and with a quick flick of the wrist using a long soda spoon put the perfect amount of sauce on your dog. An assistant would bring your root beer and take your money while Mr. Dickes methodically waited on the next customer. In the 30 or 40 years that I frequented Dick’s Coney Stand I don’t think I ever heard Mr. Dickes saying anything more that “What can I get you?”. He was much too busy for chit-chat and I was much too eager to consume my prize dogs to want to converse with him anyhow. Those days are long gone now, but the memories linger on. The Arcade Market was slowly pushed aside by the newly arrived aseptic and extremely mundane super markets. Dickes Coney Stand held its own against the fast food restaurants that started to populate downtown Canton, but even the popularity of his coneys couldn’t sustain the Arcade Market and keep it open. The Arcade Market finally lost its battle to serve the citizens of Canton and with its closing Dick’s Coney Stand served its last coney dog some time during the '80s. After its closing, I, along with others, would search in vain for a coney that was comparable to Mr. Dickes’. At times I would come across one that was reasonably good but the ambiance — the sights, sounds and smells of the old Arcade Market — could not be replicated from that earlier time. For years I had heard rumors that someone had the actual recipe for Mr. Dickes’ coney sauce. I was eventually given a copy of said recipe by a friend and eagerly set about making it in my home. What I was given was a pretty standard recipe for coney sauce that didn’t seem to be anything special and indeed my first few attempts at making the coney sauce didn’t produce the hoped for results. It took quite a few tries before I discovered that the secret to a good coney sauce wasn’t in the ingredients but it was in the preparation. Like all things of import, the effort put into creating something — whether it be a food item, a material object, or even a work of art — directly impacts the final result. You can use the finest ingredients, building materials or artist paints, but if individual effort is lacking, the finished item will leave something to be desired. A quick search of the Internet revealed a couple recipes that were attributed to Mr. Dickes. The one that I offer here is one that has been circulated for years by word of mouth and is popularly thought to be the original recipe from Dick’s Coney Sauce. For many years now I have served this sauce to friends and family and it is now known in my somewhat limited circle as Ken’s Famous Coney Sauce. I have freely given out the recipe but invariably I get feedback from others that they just can’t make it the same way as I do. That is probably because of the required amount of effort that it takes to make a truly great coney sauce. It takes a couple hours of intense motivated effort to make the sauce come out right. An effort that most won’t put forth for a lowly wiener.
